Driving up to Durango with the family and looking for some recommendations of spots we can drive to for the day and ride atvs and do some fly fishing. Have a 8mo baby so we're not looking for any thing too far in the backcountry. We're staying in a cabin outside of town so we would be trailering the atv's.

Also just going to be out only fly fishing with my dad for a couple days and trying to find some good spots away from the crowds.

Just moved back from Durango about Three weeks ago. God I miss it. If you go up towards the ski resort the is a horseback/ATV place on the right. Can't miss it with all the horses. Go ride around with them then go behind the resort to fish in the beaver ponds.

The Piedra River between Durango and Pagosa Springs is awesome to fish and has some nice access. I've only hiked in places before but I'd presume there's some minimal maintenance roads that would be great for ATV access. My favorite for solitude is Williams Creek below Williams Creek Reservoir, some traffic there at times but even when busy there it's not hard to find nice holes away from anyone! I usually hike in a mile or so south of the campground and fish up stream to the campground, have never been skunked there.

The San Juan tail-waters SE of Durango across the NM border (below Navajo Dam) is some of the best trout waters I've ever fished, but it's usually crowded. And it will be hot this time year.

Well don't make plans for the animas river. Fishing, rafting or the train. EPA was inspecting a mine for contamination and ended up dumping millions of gallons of contaminated water in to the river. River is orange due to the metals in it and stinks. Hearing that it will kill the river. Sad day

Well don't make plans for the animas river. Fishing, rafting or the train. EPA was inspecting a mine for contamination and ended up dumping millions of gallons of contaminated water in to the river. River is orange due to the metals in it and stinks. Hearing that it will kill the river. Sad day

Yep, the animas may be trouble for a while. Just in time gave you a great heads up on a good place to fish. Call ahead and check on the atv access, and welcome aboard

Edited by kodys'papa (08/07/1511:41 PM)

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Hooking a fish is like playing string with a cat. The exact size, shape, color of string matters less than how you wiggle it- and little cats are easier to fool than big ones. John Gierach